Politics & Government

State Undecided on Measure Limiting Selectmen's Power

The Attorney General's Office needs more time to review an article approved at the recent Seekonk Town Meeting that would prevent selectmen from serving on other town boards.

Seekonk's legal consultant is certain a town meeting-approved article that prevents selectmen from serving on other local boards , but the state Attorney General's Office is not sure.

In a letter issued last week about its review of the June town meeting, the state agency wrote to Town Clerk Jan Parker that it approved all the articles passed at the meeting except for the one about limiting selectmen's power. The letter states that the office needs more time to review the measure, and would have an answer by Sept. 24.

The article was drafted by former Selectman Bill Rice, who collected more than 160 signatures to get the item on the town meeting warrant. He said that it is a "misuse of power" for selectmen to serve on other local boards. Selectman Bill McLintock is on the Board of Health and Selectman Gary Sagar is an alternate for the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The town meeting .

"For the Board of Selectmen to assume positions on other boards is just wrong," said Lauren Walsh, chair of the Capital Improvement Committee and one of several local leaders to speak in favor of the article.

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A few days before the town meeting, a legal consultant for the selectmen issued an opinion that the article conflicted with local and state laws. Attorney Joyce Frank noted that the Seekonk charter gives the town administrator the power to recommend board appointments to the selectmen for their approval.

"By seeking to limit who the town administrator may recommend and who the Board of Selectmen may appoint to various town boards ... the bylaw proposed by the petitioned article seeks to restrict the executive appointing authority of the Board of Selectmen ... bestowed by the charter," Frank wrote.

Rice resigned as a selectman the same day the opinion was released. There was speculation that this was not a coincidence. He has not stated why he stepped down.

Among the town meeting articles that the Attorney General's Office approved was on people applying for certain licenses, including ice cream vending. Those seeking the licenses would have to pay for the $100 process.

While the majority of the town meeting supported the article, some people were concerned that it violated civil liberties.

"We cannot bubble-wrap each and every one of our lives for the sake of protection," said School Committee member Brian Freitas during the meeting. "Again, this is our freedom and our civil liberties being chipped away in the name of security."

Others said it was necessary in a world with dangerous people like former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who was recently sent to prison for raping and molesting boys over a period of many years.

"It's an unfortunate fact of our life that there are people out there like Jerry Sandusky who are only there to hurt people," said Michael Brady, a member of the Finance Committee and a former selectman. "And I certainly don't want to be responsible in any way for allowing the next Jerry Sandusky to get access to people."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here